NASHVILLE (AP) — A Tennessee plan to invest $15 million in improvements at 18 lakes that will be branded after bass fishing superstar Bill Dance.
Gov. Bill Lee's office announced plans Thursday to create the Bill Dance Signature Lakes by partnering his agencies on wildlife resources, state parks and tourism.
Lee's office says the lakes touch 39 counties, including 22 that are at-risk or economically distressed. Improvement projects are slated to begin in 2022 and will approach completion by fall 2024.
The lakes include nine large reservoirs that will receive new or upgraded ramps through a partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority. Other improvements will include increased stocking, habitat and fisheries management, courtesy docks, parking, additional access points, fishing piers and signs.
Lake include:
The Bill Dance Signature Lakes at launch are as follows:
• 1000 Acre Lake, Huntington, TN (Carroll County)
• Brown’s Creek Lake, Natchez Trace (Henderson County)
• Chickamauga Lake, Harrison Bay State Park & Chester Frost Park (Hamilton, Rhea, Meigs, McMinn and Bradley Counties)
• Dale Hollow Lake, North Central TN (Clay, Pickett, Fentress and Overton Counties)
• Douglas Lake, East TN (Jefferson, Sevier and Cocke Counties)
• Fall Creek Falls Lake, Fall Creek Falls State Park (Van Buren County)
• Herb Parsons Lake (Fayette County)
• Kentucky Lake, Paris Landing State Park (Henry, Stewart, Houston, Benton, Decatur, Perry and Humphreys Counties)
• Lake Acorn, Montgomery Bell State Park (Dickson County)
• Lake Woodhaven, Montgomery Bell State Park (Dickson County)
• Norris Lake, Northeast TN (Anderson, Campbell, Claiborne, Grainger and Union Counties)
• Old Hickory Lake, Middle TN (Sumner and Davidson Counties)
• Pickwick Lake, Pickwick Landing State Park (Hardin County)
• Pin Oak Lake, Natchez Trace State Park (Henderson County)
• Reelfoot Lake, Reelfoot Lake State Park (Lake and Obion Counties)
• Tim’s Ford Lake, Tim’s Ford State Park (Franklin and Moore Counties)
• Travis McNatt Lake, Big Hill Pond State Park (McNairy County)
• Watauga Lake, Northeast TN (Johnson and Carter Counties)